“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” which was filmed in Wilmington in the summer of 1989, hit theaters March 30, 1990.

The newly rebooted, CGI-enhanced “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” shred their way into theaters Friday, but for the local film crew, the release marks a time of reflection on the original “TMNT,” which shot in the area in 1989.

Now, 25 years later, the film’s effect can still be seen as memories of the heroes with the half shells’ first big screen adventure still attract aspiring filmmakers and fans to the local industry. The StarNews published a complete rundown of the film’s production, which can be read here. But through research and interviews, we uncovered so many fun facts that simply just didn’t fit in one article.

So, with the help of film’s makeup artist Jeff Goodwin, property master Robbie Beck and plaster shop worker Brian Simcox, we have compiled a list of a totally rad facts about the live-wire movie.

As the Turtles would say, “Check it out, dude!”

– Infamous puppeteer Jim Henson, whose Creature Shop built the turtle suits, spent time in Wilmington during production to survey how the suits were working out. But he had another reason to visit. His son, Brian, was the second unit director. (Jim passed away less than two months after the film’s release from pneumonia.)

– Before he brought Turtle Power to the big screen, director Steve Barron helmed notable music videos for Michael Jackson, Madonna and Paul McCartney. But perhaps his biggest contribution to the medium was the famous pencil-sketch/live-action hybrid video for a-ha’s “Take on Me.” You can watch the purely ’80s throwback video here.

– The head pieces for the Turtle suits were animatronic and controlled remotely. Due to its mechanized nature, the technology would sometimes pick up frequencies from the nearby airport control tower and incoming flights. The interference was said to cause the head piece’s eyes to blink uncontrollably and their mouths to fall open.

– Ironically, the Turtles’ favorite thing — pizza — was one of the things that couldn’t be around their expensive suits. Instead, the production’s plaster shop ordered a pizza from a nearby Domino’s, made a mold of it immediately after it was delivered and then used plaster to make the delicious pieces seen in the movie. The studio’s paint shop added the necessary color to make it look just right.

– The suits were so form-fitting that, during the hot summer days of filming, the stuntmen could sometimes only stay in the suits for 10 minutes at a time, with dehydration and heat exhaustion very real possibilities. At times, the suits were so hot that sweat could be seen pouring down the stuntmen’s legs. (Air-conditioning systems were built into the suits for the sequel, but were eventually removed for unknown reasons.)

– The film’s executive producer, Raymond Chow,was a huge name in Hong Kong cinema. During his career, he worked with the likes of Bruce Lee (in “Enter the Dragon) and a young Jackie Chan.

– During on-location filming, crew members were tasked with removing the Spanish moss from nearby trees to add authenticity to film’s New York City setting.

– The sewers sets built on the EUE/Screen Gems Studios lot actually worked to some degree. Water was pumped in and flowed through scenes in the film.

– The sewer lids were made of fiberglass so they could be lifted, thrown and spun with ease.

– Toshishiro Obata, the actor who played Tatsu, actually descended from samurai swordsmen in Japan and wrote books about swordsmanship. When martial artists were brought in to work on the film, they showed respect by referring to Obata as “sensei.” During breaks, he would oblige crew requests to show off his expert technique. Obata also worked on the film’s sequel and the Michael Douglas/Andy Garcia film “Black Rain.”

– After wrapping in Wilmington, the film shot for four days in NYC on city streets and Roosevelt Island.

– Several versions of each of the Turtles’ weapon of choice were made. The swords were made of aluminum, which made then lighter and easier to handle. The set used real nunchucks, but aged them and then made casts for additional stunt purposes.

– The stuntmen in the suits had the difficult task of maneuvering all the stunts with only three fingers, which is all the Turtles had on each hand.

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About This Blog

Hi! My name is Hunter Ingram and I’m the film/TV reporter for StarNews Media. I will be the primary blogger for WilmonFilm, but other staffers, including Community Engagement Editor Jeff Hidek and freelance reporter Brian Tucker, are likely to contribute from time to time.

With this blog, I aim to be Southeastern North Carolina’s go-to source for all things film and TV. Wilmington and its surrounding areas are rich with intriguing projects, from the big-budget blockbusters to the small-scale, high-impact independent films. I will post everything from breaking news to offbeat features that will cover every facet of the entertainment news emerging from the area. So bookmark this page and be on the lookout every day for new posts!

While we may be hard at work reporting on the stories we get, we also want your tips, reactions and ideas. Got a story idea that is itching to be heard? E-mail or call me! Want to say something about a post? Leave a comment.